Why is the cloud so popular?

Cloud technology has become a rapidly growing force in recent years. It has allowed us to quickly adapt and cater to the ever-changing needs of businesses and their employees. Cloud computing can process large volumes of data and facilitate global deployment, allowing businesses to create more innovative and dynamic ways of working.

Particularly with the recent pandemic, it was quickly discovered that remote work solutions will become a cornerstone for the long-term sustainability of an organisation. 2020 not only demonstrated that we never know what challenges we are going to face, but also that we need to ensure our business technology allows us to be agile and elastic.

Let's look at a few reasons why cloud technology is becoming so popular and how it's helping us enhance operational efficiency, better serve our customers, and drastically lower costs.

Flexibility and Scalability

Relying on a technician or hardware update when adding users or functions to your business software can become both frustrating and time-consuming. With on-premise software, users are often required to wait for an expert to physically visit their location for installation and updates. With cloud software, the lack of physical hardware means updates, user changes, and installations are all taken care of remotely.

With cloud computing, we can also easily customise our software based on usage, storage requirements, or the number of users. In many businesses, the software needs of each department will differentiate. The ability to make immediate changes or upgrades with just a few clicks can greatly reduce excessive time and overhead expenditure in an organisation.
 

Mobility

With almost half of the world's population owning a smartphone, the ability to access business applications remotely is invaluable. Mobile devices and apps allow for continuous collaboration across teams, regardless of location. 2020 will forever be known as the year of remote work. This year showed us that it has never been more important for businesses to ensure their employees can access relevant data and resources from anywhere.

For those organisations that had already moved mostly to cloud computing, the transition to remote work was much easier because business data was accessible through any device with an internet connection. Not to mention that remote work is opening doors for a better work-life balance for employees.
 

Cost

Many might think that the heavy upfront costs associated with switching to cloud technology aren't worth it. However, it's important to note that the cost benefits of cloud computing extend far past the introductory price tag. Over time, the software will pay for itself through its versatility, customisation, and scalability.

IT infrastructure and maintenance has always required a high upfront cost from businesses and, generally, 'out-of-the-box' software is installed quickly and in bulk. This means receiving a cookie-cutter solution that is often not tailored to your specific business needs. On the other hand, the majority of cloud computing services work off a pay-as-you-go model, and cloud software subscriptions can evolve with your business. Not a fan of a certain application? No problem. Subscriptions can be reallocated or removed entirely. With trial products and tiered editions, many users have reaped the benefits of trying out different features, bundles, and products to get the best bang for their buck.
 

Reliability

At one point or another, we have all experienced the trauma of spending hours on a document, only to lose our hard work because of a system crash. If we rely on one piece of hardware to hold our data and workload, we risk losing everything if the hardware malfunctions. With cloud computing, work is often saved in real time as you go, so you won't be forced to redo hours of work in the event of a system crash. Not to mention the fact that your work can be accessed from multiple devices, so there's less to worry about if your desktop or laptop becomes inoperable.

Collaboration

This has never been more important in the business world. Cloud-based applications allow real-time collaboration and can allow for a countless number of people to work on a file or task simultaneously. Your team will have instant access to the latest features, integrations, and product improvements from anywhere. While collaboration is still possible without the cloud, having access to cloud technology makes it more efficient, especially for businesses with many locations or teams that are working together across long distances.

Convenience 

Having access to applications from any location not only offers convenience, but it allows us to manage our workload better. Who wants to be constrained to a physical piece of hardware when we could be accessing work from the beach, a peaceful park, or the appointment waiting room you quickly zipped to on your lunch break? With cloud applications and hosting, you are guaranteed to always have the latest, updated version of software, and you can do your job from anywhere you have an internet connection.

All things considered, it's easy to understand why so many people are moving to the cloud. If you're worried about not being able to sync data between apps or having to buy multiple solutions from several different providers, we've got you covered. Zoho One gives you one integrated system to transform your business' disparate activities into a more connected and agile system. Increase productivity across your business, deliver better customer experiences, and do more without the hassle of switching between apps that don't communicate with each other. Learn more about Zoho One here.